Category: Job Search Strategies

3Ls/4Es who are nationals of the United States or of any of the 54 participating countries and are interested in applying for positions with The United Nations should consider taking the young professionals programme exam. Deadlines are as soon as August 13. For more information, see https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=NCE&lang=en-US. We also recommend this helpful PSJD blogpost for information on working for the UN: http://blog.psjd.org/2010/05/27/how-to-work-for-the-united-nations-or-other-inter-governmental-organizations/.

For those of you looking to be employed in the private sector, we urge you to seek out opportunities at regional and boutique firms outside of EIW. Sign in to learn about 3 quick alternatives to consider.

As you may know, unlike private sector recruiting, government and public interest recruiting does not follow a uniform timeline or application process, so you need to take advantage of a variety of resources and programs throughout the recruiting cycle to ensure that you are not missing out on opportunities in which you are interested. Click above for a list of the recruiting programs and recommended resources to utilize as part of a comprehensive government and public interest job search strategy.

Unlike their biglaw counterparts, small and mid-sized firms may not adhere to a rigid recruiting schedule. Rather, these employers rely on students finding and networking with them. Come learn from counselors who have worked in, recruited for, and/or reached out to small firms some best practices for connecting to employers, as well as what qualifications to highlight to make you stand out in this sector.

When you receive an offer – via voicemail or email – for a summer internship, you should respond in kind (i.e., with a phone call or an email) within twenty-four hours. If you are not ready to accept or decline the offer, you may let the employer know that you are excited about the opportunity and ask for more time to make a decision. You can suggest a deadline if they employer has not provided a deadline (three weeks is usually the maximum that is reasonable to request, and employers may ask you to decide more quickly).

If you plan to decline an offer for the upcoming summer but hope to check whether the employer would be interested in considering you for a fall or spring externship, the best time to broach the subject is when you notify them that you are not planning to accept their present offer. It is perfectly appropriate to graciously decline the offer and at the same time express your continued interest by asking whether or not they are recruiting for their academic year positions. Some employers are actively engaged in filling their fall 2014 positions now, while others will wait until later in the cycle. Simply mention your continued interest and ask whether or not they would be interested in discussing any future opportunities now or should you follow up later in the spring or early summer. The employer has already signaled they are extremely interested in you as a potential intern/extern, so we recommend you take advantage of what could be a great opportunity to find an academic year position.

Please see a counselor in OPICS or OCS if you would like to discuss a pending offer.

The Women’s Legal Alliance & the Women of Color Collective invite you to attend a CLERKSHIP PANEL
on Friday, February 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., McDonough Hall, Room 437

Light refreshments will be served

This panel will discuss the benefits of clerking when building a legal career,
introduce you to the clerkship application process, and present strategies to
strategically navigate that process. Panelists include faculty, former and current
clerks, and OCS representatives. Whether you already know you would like to clerk,
or don’t really know what clerking is all about and want to learn more about it, this
event promises to be extremely informative and helpful.

RSVP on OrgSync at https://orgsync.com/19155/events/700667/occurrences/1389356